Level 1 (like Grade 1) · Unit 4 of 24
Note and rest values
How long each note lasts – whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note – and the rests that match them.
By the end you will be able to:
- name the main note values and how many quarter note beats each lasts
- match each note to its rest
- write a rhythm from its note names
Learn
Notes that last longer or shorter
The shape of a note tells you how long to hold it. We count in quarter note beats:
- Whole note: 4 beats – a hollow oval, no stem.
- Half note: 2 beats – hollow, with a stem.
- Quarter note: 1 beat – filled in, with a stem.
- Eighth note: ½ beat – filled in, with a stem and a tail (two or more are joined by a beam).
- Sixteenth note: ¼ beat – two tails or two beams.
| Note | Name | Beats |
|---|---|---|
| Whole note | 4 | |
| Half note | 2 | |
| Quarter note | 1 | |
| Eighth note | ½ | |
| Sixteenth note | ¼ |
Rests: counted silence
Every note value has a rest that lasts just as long. Silence is part of the music, so rests are counted exactly like notes. The whole rest hangs below line 4; the half rest sits on line 3 (like a hat). The quarter rest is a zig-zag, and the eighth rest looks like a little 7.
| Note | Name | Beats | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole note | 4 | whole rest | |
| Half note | 2 | half rest | |
| Quarter note | 1 | quarter rest | |
| Eighth note | ½ | eighth rest | |
| Sixteenth note | ¼ | sixteenth rest |
Stems and beams
Stems go up on the right of notes below the middle line, and down on the left of notes above it. Eighth notes in the same beat are joined with a beam so the beats are easy to see.
Your turn
Watch and listen, then practice with new questions every time – reading questions, and writing tasks you answer on the staff. Take the check when you are ready: 80% passes the unit.
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Level 1 is like Grade 1 music theory. These are Classfern’s own levels, not an exam board’s. Questions are made and graded by rules in your browser.